How to Create Umami-Rich Foods in Your Kitchen

In the cuisines of Southeast Asia, there are general categories of ingredients that bolster the umami taste: raw ingredients from animal, plant, and fungi sources; crafted food products such as fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and shrimp paste; and manufactured ingredients like MSG, yeast extracts, and hydrolyzed vegetable proteins. Choosing the choicest ingredients is critical to success in the kitchen. High-quality fermented fish sauce and soy sauce lay foundational flavors. Shrimp paste is made of only shrimp and salt, but after months of fermentation the flavor intensifies.